Many varieties of microphones are employed in a variety of sound reinforcement applications where audio from a sound source (such as a human speaking) is captured, transmitted and amplified to listeners via appropriate amplification and speaker systems. Microphones can be used in a variety of such applications. Microphone connectors typically connect a microphone to a cable or plug such that an electrical connection is made between the microphone and downstream audio components (such as mixers and amplifiers) to which the audio signal captured by the microphone is delivered.
In some applications, such as conferencing environments, larger numbers of microphones are utilized to capture audio from a large number of audio sources. For example, sound reinforcement in environments such as conference rooms, boardrooms, video conferencing applications, and the like, can involve the use of microphones for capturing sound from many audio sources active in such environments. Such audio sources may include humans speaking, for example. The captured sound may be disseminated to a local audience in the environment through amplified speakers (for sound reinforcement), or to others remote from the environment (such as via a telecast and/or a webcast).
Given the larger numbers of microphones utilized in these and other types of applications, it is often desirable to not have all of the microphones active at one time, so as to avoid undesirable results such as feedback, picking up room noise, etc. Therefore, in applications with large numbers of microphones, often system controls are utilized which activate one or several microphones at one time, to pick up audio only from active sources, such as active speakers in a large group of people. In conjunction with selective activation of microphones, it can be desirable to indicate to the individuals using such microphones a status or mode of the microphones (such as when the microphones are active, or “on”, and when the microphones are inactive, or “muted”, for example). Therefore, conferencing systems may include visual indicators to indicate statuses of various microphones in the system so that users of the system know which microphones are active at any time, and which are not.
It can be desirable for individual microphones in such systems to include visual indicators, such as lighting, on the microphone itself, to indicate the status of such microphone to a user of the microphone. However, adding lighting to a microphone introduces challenges relative to electromagnetic interference, radio frequency interference and other noise which can be interjected into the system. For example, users with cell phones placed nearby such microphones can introduce radio frequency or GSM interference into the system due to deficiencies in the electrical design of the microphone. Robustness of the microphone connection can be challenging, so as to ensure that the microphone can be easily connected, cannot be inadvertently removed or have its connection disrupted, and is not negatively impacted by unwanted electromagnetic interference.
Accordingly, there is an opportunity for systems that address these concerns. More particularly, there is an opportunity for a microphone connector that includes a keyed and lockable engagement and is capable of transmitting both audio signals from the connected microphone and lighting signals to lights onboard of the connected microphone to indicate a mode or status of the microphone, while reducing or eliminating unwanted interference.